Michael Lee Sharpe, Appellant v. the State of Texas, Appellee

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas affirmed Michael Lee Sharpe's conviction for theft, finding no reversible error in the trial judge's jury comment, the denial of impeachment with civil pleadings, or the jury instruction on ownership. The majority held that the trial court's actions were within its discretion and that the evidence satisfied the statutory elements of ownership. A dissent argued that the impeachment evidence should have been admitted and that the evidence was insufficient to prove ownership beyond a reasonable doubt.